Calibration and validation of a sand model considering the effects of wave-induced principal stress axes rotation

Principal stress axes rotation influences the stress-strain behavior of sand under wave loading. A constitutive model for sand, which considers principal stress orientation and is based on generalized plasticity theory, is proposed. The new model, which employs stress invariants and a discrete memory factor during reloading, is original because it quantifies model parameters using experimental data. Four sets of hollow torsion experiments were conducted to calibrate the parameters and predict the capability of the proposed model, which describes the effects of principal stress orientation on the behavior of sand. The results prove the effectiveness of the proposed calibration method. © 2015, The Chinese Society of Oceanography and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg